Baby Steps
by JLaLa
Summary: In the wake of tragedy, two polar opposites come together for one commonality, their Goddaughter–Viola Mellark. Based on the movie, Life As We Know It. Gadge. Modern AU.
1. Summer

My very first Gadge! Hope you enjoy!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

 **Baby Steps**

 _Summer_

Madge Undersee adjusted the skirt of her white crêpe dress as she approached the front porch of the cream Colonial house with its dark green shutters. Her eyes went to the large knocker with the emblazoned 'M' just below it.

It was grand and verbose, just like her two friends.

Reaching forward, she grabbed the knocker giving the door a solid knock when a sharp pinch to her backside caught her off guard.

Whipping around, she found the leather jacket clad Gale Hawthorne standing before her.

He was forever the bane of her existence.

"Hey gorgeous," Gale greeted, his smirk revealing bright, white teeth to her frowning face. "You really filled out there."

"Drop dead," Madge muttered before looking to the door.

"That's not very nice." Gale joined her at the door. "You should be happy. I mean before, your ass was not so nice. Real flat and shit." His grey eyes traveled behind her and she tugged her skirt down. "But now, that thing looks itching to grab. Like I could just grab one cheek and go to town—"

"You pig!"

Madge's fist whipped out, socking him in the arm just like she did when they were kids.

Gale thought he was being so cool. She'd show him. She'd whoop his ass then and she would do it again.

Gale blocked her punch, all the while laughing at her anger. "I've never seen someone so sensitive over their rear end!"

"I don't even know why Katniss and Peeta invited you!" Her small purse had come into play and she smacked it against the thick sleeve of his jacket. "You should go back to wherever you came from!"

"I'm Vi's godfather so of course, I'm going to be here," Gale told her before reaching inside his jacket to reveal a crudely-wrapped teddy bear. "It's her first birthday. What about you? Where's your present, Godmother Madge?"

Leaning down, she presented him with the wicker basket full of toys and neatly-folded clothes.

"You were saying?"

Gale shook his head. "Fucking show-off…"

Madge pounced. "We can fight but I will _always_ win." She looked up at those narrowed steel eyes. "Remember that."

"Madge! Gale!"

They turned to find Katniss and Peeta Mellark trying not to not to laugh, but failing miserably.

Katniss met Madge's eyes worriedly. She never forgave herself for trying to set up Gale and Madge in high school. It was an utter train wreck; the asshole arrived 30 minutes late to their date and reeked of another girl's perfume.

Madge had made her friend promise that she'd never have to see Gale Hawthorne's smug face again.

However, that totally went to hell because Gale was Peeta Mellark's best friend and the handsome blond was Katniss' boyfriend-now-husband.

"Come in!" Peeta ushered them inside after hugging them both. "Viola is just waking up from her nap."

Katniss went to Madge after greeting Gale. She hugged her friend affectionately.

"Sorry, I didn't warn you," Katniss said sheepishly. "I really didn't know that he would sneak up and pinch your ass."

"Katniss! Were you watching us that whole time?" she shrieked. "You know how Gale gets when there's a viable snatch in his vicinity!"

"You wish, sweetheart," Gale called out from inside the house.

Katniss practically held Madge in place.

"We thought that maybe you both had grown out of this feud. I guess we were wrong." Katniss' arm went around Madge's shoulders to calm her down. "Next time, I won't leave you and Gale alone with our big knocker."

Madge snickered. "So you and Peeta like big knockers?"

They walked into the entryway of the house as Peeta approached the two. His wife moved towards him and he wrapped an arm around her waist before kissing her fully on the lips.

"Yes." Peeta looked at his wife's abundant chest. Breastfeeding had done wonders to Katniss' itty-bitty titties. "We love big knockers. Especially me."

"Gross," Madge and Gale chorused together from their respective places.

* * *

"Vi, you are too gorgeous," Madge cooed at the one-year-old sitting on her lap. "Those big blue eyes and dark lashes are just too much."

Viola Mellark clapped her hands in excitement. She had been the long-awaited addition to their little group. The one-year-old looked like Katniss' mini-me with the exception of having her father's bluebell eyes.

The four of them had gone to the same college before traveling the world. Once they were sure that they has caused enough trouble, Katniss and Peeta got married in a gorgeous mansion just a few miles out of their hometown in an ostentatious wedding. Madge was Maid of Honor and Gale was, unfortunately, Best Man.

After, they all settled into their respective jobs; Peeta went to work for the Abernathy Architecture firm as their lead Engineering Architect, Katniss opened up Mellark Bakery becoming Head Baker and Manager, Gale wrote for Trinket Magazine as their travel correspondent, and Madge started up her photography business.

Then last year, Viola had unexpectedly come into their lives—and they all couldn't be happier.

"Vi." Gale knelt in front of them and tickled their Goddaughter's chin. "Keep smiling like that. If you don't, you'll end up with frown lines like your spinster Godmother." He grinned as she just narrowly missed kicking his crotch with her red heel.

Laughing, Gale plucked Viola from her grasp. "I like the pink panties, by the way." Madge growled. "The bitterness runs deep in this kitchen." He looked to Peeta. "Where are you setting up the tables?"

"Outside," Peeta informed him. "Let's go." He gave Madge a smile. "I'm saving you both." The two men went to the back porch and into the meadow-like backyard.

"Don't let him get to you," Katniss encouraged as she iced the cake on the counter of the marble island. "You know Gale. He likes messing with you. I have this theory that he's actually still upset over you ditching him during prom for Thresh McKinley."

"He deserved it." Madge stood from her seat and joined Katniss. "He was a total ass. The one day, besides your wedding, when you want someone to tell you that you're beautiful and what does he say? That I have lipstick on my teeth!"

"Well, you did," Katniss replied. "But besides that, you looked absolutely gorgeous."

"I didn't get laid though," she retorted and scowled at her best friend. "I know _you_ did."

"Sweetie, I was laid in the dressing room where I got my prom dress!" Katniss laughed to herself as she twisted the top of the icing bag and started creating yellow flowers on the buttercream cake. "Then in the limo, once in the ladies room, and then over and over at the after-party."

"I get it—you and Peeta are the horniest bastards ever." Madge smiled, hearing her friend hum in agreement. "I love you both though and I love that little girl that you created. So, I'll tolerate Gale for this one day."

"Thanks," Katniss said appreciatively. "Now tell me about the Calvin Klein campaign that you're shooting with that hot model Marvel and how you let him do you in the dark room in your studio."

Madge chuckled, her cheeks warm. "I did not!"

"Pretend you did," her friend responded. "I want to hear all the juicy details."

She snorted. "Well, he does have one of those V-cuts along his hips…"

* * *

"You know you can't always bait Madge like that," Peeta told Gale as they carried out another tray of food into the backyard. "She'll only take so much of your shit."

The party was in full-swing, the neighbors of Victors Village along with their children filling the yard.

Peeta waved at his boss Haymitch, who accompanied by his wife Johanna—who was just about ready to pop herself. Gale had also met Finnick and Annie Odair along with their son, Henry, who was currently jumping in the bouncy house in the corner of the yard. Beetee and Wiress Latier, who lived next door were chatting with Madge, who had her camera in her hands, ready to catch the perfect shot.

"She makes it too easy," Gale responded with an easy smile. "Just like in high school."

"Madge kept you from getting arrested when we were in Cairo," Peeta said as he arranged the plate. "Yes, she can be a little Type-A, but that's her thing."

"Not just a little Type-A." He looked at the woman who was currently cleaning her lens vigorously. "She can be a bitch sometimes."

"You were late for your first date—" his friend argued. "—after hooking up with another girl."

Gale bit his lip, trying not to remember the look of disappointment on Madge's face. She had looked so pretty in her baby-blue dress that night and to see the hurt in her eyes nearly killed him. He had been nervous about their date as he had always noticed the beautiful blonde with the sky-blue eyes walking the halls of their school.

When Gale had gone to get her flowers, the shop girl had been more than willing to close her doors to show him how sweet she thought the gesture was.

Peeta snapped his fingers in Gale's face. "Dude, just try to be nice for the rest of the day."

"Fine." His eyes went to the Madge, who was currently trying to avoid a bodybuilder of a man. "I'll be back."

Walking over, his arms automatically went around her waist. "Hey babe."

Relief washed over her features and Madge pasted a smile on her face. "Hey honey." She turned to the man in front of them. "I was just talking to Brutus here about the new gym that he just opened. Brutus, this is my boyfriend Gale."

Gale shook hands with the brawny man before turning to Madge and planting a quick kiss to her lips.

"Katniss wanted us to look over something in the house," he informed her. Giving the man a grin, Gale led Madge away, his hand wandering to her full bottom. She turned to him and he gave her a jeering smile. "Don't get angry just yet. Your boyfriend is still watching."

He had to admit—Madge had a great ass.

As soon as they were inside the house, however, she socked him in the arm before walking away.

She also had one hell of a right cross.

* * *

" _Happy birthday, dear Viola…Happy birthday to you…"_

There was a round of applause and Madge watched as Katniss and Peeta helped Viola blow out her candles. The round-cheeked girl beamed, her riotous dark curls waving around her face.

The video was perfect and she couldn't wait to get to her studio to start editing.

"You did good." She looked up to see Gale before her. He sat in the space on the couch as she put down the camera on the mahogany table. His eyes went to the freeze frame of their friends and Viola blowing out the candles. "They look really happy."

"You mean, I did well," Madge corrected him, though there was little fight in her voice. "Oh my God, did we actually go to the same schools?"

"Yeah, but you paid more attention," he said. "I had a life."

"I'm so tired that I don't even care that you're being a major jerk." Taking off her shoes, Madge shifted and tucked her feet under her bottom. "It was good day."

"I agree," Gale said with a sigh. "Kind of feels like the end of an era though. Peeta and Katniss have Vi and soon they'll have more. I'll just keep doing anything with big boobs and a short skirt, according to you and you'll be—"

"Taking over the world," Madge finished for him. "Hopefully, I'll be doing some traveling in the near future. I just need to save a little more money."

"Why don't you come with me?" Gale asked suddenly. "I mean, I have a traveling account and jetting off can be tiresome and lonely."

"Because we'll kill each other before we even get off the plane," she reasoned.

His eyes were suddenly somber, even a bit nervous.

"Maybe we wouldn't, Madge. I'm not always horrible to you, am I?"

Madge shook her head. "No."

The Mellarks walked into the room, flushed but grinning.

"Vi is finally asleep," Katniss said as she sat on the armchair opposite of Madge and Gale. Peeta went to the stereo system, turning it on, and then sitting on the arm rest of Katniss' seat. She looked to her husband. "Remind me to give Prim some cash before she leaves."

"Prim?" Madge asked. "Who's that?"

"She's Beetee and Wiress' little girl," Katniss informed her.

"She doesn't have their coloring," Gale responded in confusion.

"I'm adopted." They all turned to see a young girl in her early teens with blue eyes and a single golden braid over her shoulder. She went to Katniss with a shy smile. "Vi's diaper is changed and I sang her one more lullaby before setting her down." Placing the baby monitor on the table, she look around and gave them a sweet smile.

Peeta went to her, handing her a twenty-dollar bill. "Here you go, sweetie."

"That's too much, Mr. Mellark," Prim informed him. "I couldn't!"

"Prim, you're young," Katniss told the girl with a smile. "Enjoy it and go buy something fun for yourself."

"Alright, Mrs. Mellark," Prim yielded. "Have a good night, everyone."

She left quickly with the click of the front door.

"She's a little young, isn't she?" Madge remarked.

"Vi loves her and she stops her from crying when no one else can," Katniss explained.

"Oh my God…" Peeta went to the stereo and turned up the volume. "Do you remember this song?"

" _Oh, what a night  
Late December, back in '63…"_

Gale snapped his fingers. "We all used to listen to this song and get high in my basement!"

Peeta went to his wife, two-stepping towards her, before holding out his hand. "You have to dance with me."

Katniss took his hand, laughing as she stood up. "Why?"

"Because I remember realizing I was in love with you to this song," he told her, wrapping an arm around her waist and swaying with her. " _Hypnotizing, mesmerizing me…she was everything I dreamed she'd be…sweet surrender, what a night_ …"

Madge giggled. "Didn't you guys have sex in Gale's basement?"

Gale twirled, pointing his finger at them. "I knew I saw ass imprints on my pool table!"

The couple danced past him and Katniss smirked. "Yeah, that was Peeta."

"Because you've given me a beautiful goddaughter and I'm actually kind of proud of you, I'm going to let that slide." Gale danced towards Madge, his hand open to her. "Get up, gorgeous. You can't be the wallflower of this party."

Madge sighed before taking his hand. "True, and I was also in that basement. I'm just as bad as all of you." She put her hand on his shoulder as he wrapped one hand around her waist and twirled her.

" _Oh, I  
Got a funny feeling when she walked in the room  
Hey, my  
As I recall, it ended much too soon…"_

Gale took her free hand as they did the cha-cha along the carpeted room. They stopped next to Peeta and Katniss who were watching them in amusement.

"You make a good team," Peeta remarked and winked at Madge.

"Gale couldn't handle me," she replied. Her gaze went to her dark-eyed dance partner. "He missed his chance."

In turn, Gale pulled her closer and she could smell a bit of light alcohol on his breath as well as his spicy aftershave.

"Did I really?" he countered, his stare filling her with a molten heat that Madge had long forgotten.

" _Oh, what a night  
Why'd it take so long to see the light?  
Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right  
What a lady, what a night…"_

* * *

 _Autumn_

"Tilt your head," Madge instructed the golden-haired model. "Now look at me…" She took the shot quickly. "Great job, Glimmer. You can breathe now."

"I feel horribly out of shape," the woman said as Madge went to the monitor just a few steps away from the slate background that she stood on. "What is this for again?"

"A yoga collection," Madge replied. "Take a look."

Glimmer joined her at the computer monitor. "Wow, I look like I know what I'm doing!"

"You have some great graceful lines during the half-moon pose," Madge commented. "You look perfect and very much the yoga guru."

"I really hope they pick me for the campaign," Glimmer told her. "Thanks for doing this. I know that you don't usually do evening shoots but I had a long shift at the café."

"You work hard," she told the model-slash-waitress. "Plus the shots by the open window during sunset looked perfect. Also, I didn't have much to do tonight. I was going to eat a whole pizza by myself."

Glimmer laughed. "Ambitious."

There was a knock on the door as Madge sat at the computer. "Can you grab that? I want to fix the color on this one shot."

"Sure," the woman said and headed towards the front door.

Madge adjusted the image's saturation; she wanted to punch up the color of the sky. It complemented the tight blue leotard that Glimmer wore and displayed her fit body perfectly.

"Are you Madge Undersee?" a deep voice suddenly asked.

Madge looked up to see a rugged blond with light eyes smiling at her. Slowly standing, she nodded wordlessly.

"I'm Cato Freeland." He offered his hand. "I just opened the practice next door and just wanted to introduce myself."

Madge shook it, trying not to ignore the giggles escaping Glimmer's mouth as she packed her things.

"Nice to meet you," Madge finally said. "So what kind of doctor are you?"

"A pediatrician," Cato said. His eyes went to the desk where a picture of her, Viola, and Gale was set. Peeta had taken the photo during the birthday party with his own camera and gave it to her as a thank you present. "So if you're looking for a doctor for your daughter—"

"Oh no, that's my goddaughter, Viola," she explained. "But maybe my friends are looking to change her pediatrician."

"Okay, great!" The man said cheerfully. He reached into his jeans pocket and produced a business card. "If they're interested."

"Thanks, Dr. Freeland." Madge hoped that her face wasn't too red. There was something about his smile that made her feel a little bit breathless. "It was nice to meet you."

"Just call me Cato…maybe we can have coffee during one of my breaks," he suddenly suggested.

"Okay," she found herself saying.

"Okay then." He smiled once more. "See you for coffee."

Madge nodded, trying to look cooler than she felt. "Alright, I'll see you."

After Cato stepped out, Glimmer rushed over to her. "You have a date!" She danced around the desk. "And, he so cute!"

"It's coffee," she said trying to downplay her own excitement. "Nothing else." Her phone rang. "You better get going before you miss your bus." She picked up the phone. "Hello, Madge Undersee."

Just like that, her world went dark.

* * *

"Is there anyone else we can call?" The police officer asked.

"No, they were both only children," Madge said as she suppressed the wail threatening to escape her throat. "Both sets of parents are gone. They were all each of them had…" She looked to the man in panic. "Was their daughter in the car?"

The man shook his head, his gaze sad. "No, she was with the babysitter. We placed her with Child Protective Services for now—"

"I need to have her with me!" Madge steeled herself. "She's my goddaughter and she's all alone. Her parents are gone and I'm all she has!"

"What the hell happened?"

Madge turned to find Gale standing before her.

Without a second thought, she rushed over to him and he pulled her into his arms as she burst into tears. He held her tight as the police officer walked over, speaking of a drunk driver, their friends attempt to avoid the man, and a car crash that she didn't want to think of.

When it was over and the officer was gone, Gale sank to the ground and took her with him.

* * *

Their house looked frozen in time, a relic of Katniss and Peeta Mellark.

When Madge and Gale walked in, their eyes went to the unopened mail on the entryway table. In the kitchen, her eyes filled seeing Katniss' neat print on the bulletin board, including the small mark from last week saying, ' _Vi learned to crawl!_ '.

A little doodle next to the phone reduced Madge to a sobbing mess. Peeta must've been bored during a call, because on one of the notepads he had written over and over: _I love Katniss, I love Viola…_

"I have to find the number for CPS and we have to get Viola out of there," she started. "Then, I'll have to call someone to close my studio for a bit and then…"

"Stop." Madge looked to where Gale stood in the kitchen doorway. "Just sit for a moment because I still can't believe this is real." He went to the dining room table. "We were just sitting here with them two months ago!"

She went to him, her hand going to his shoulder. "I feel like I have to do something, because if I don't then I just think about how we'll never see them again." Madge pulled out a chair, tears prickling her eyes as she remembered Katniss' laugh. "We lost our best friends…but Viola has lost her parents."

Gale wiped his eyes. "Why did this happen?" He looked so lost, so broken by it all.

She let the sobs overtake her. "I don't know…"

"Cry it out, Madge," Gale told her hoarsely. "Let me call CPS. You should rest."

"I can't sleep," she replied. "Not in this house."

"Then go sit in the living room," he told her. "I need you to go so I can cry and then get enough strength to get Viola back." Their eyes met, his own bloodshot. "Please Madge…I can't let you see me this way."

She nodded and stood up. "I'll be in the living room."

* * *

 _Two Days Later…_

"Madge, the lawyer is here."

She looked up from the changing table where Viola laid, her legs up in the air to see Gale watching the two. He gave her an exhausted smile, his unshaven face making him seem older and much more haggard.

Gale looked like she felt.

Diapering Viola, she lifted the little girl in her arms and then carried her over to Gale.

"Let me just wash my hands and I'll be right down."

"We'll meet you down there," Gale responded before giving Viola a bright smile. "And after we get all this crap out of the way, Uncle Gale is going to feed you whatever you want—we practically have the same appetites." Madge gave them a wave before throwing out the dirty diaper then washing her hands in Viola's bathroom.

Walking out into the hallway, her eyes went to a random picture hanging right between their friends' bedroom and Viola's nursery. It was of the four them on prom night. Peeta and Katniss were staring at one another as she and Gale smiled at the camera, his arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder.

They all looked so young and carefree.

Yes, Madge was mad at Gale then, but they shared one dance together and she had forgiven him enough to take that photo with her best friends—though she couldn't remember it. There had been some pre-party shots at Katniss' place.

Oh, what a night that had been.

Taking a deep breath, she descended downstairs and into the dining room where Gale sat with Viola across from their friends' lawyer, Plutarch Heavensbee.

Joining them at the table, she nodded at the man before sitting down next to Gale and placing Viola in her lap. The little girl remained unaware, her hands toying with Madge's tangled mane. She hadn't even showered, feeling so stuck in herself.

"First off, I'd like to say how sorry I am that we're meeting under these circumstances," Plutarch said. "Peeta and Katniss were very good friends of mine and they spoke so highly of you both." Opening his portfolio, he looked it over before meeting their curious gazes. "The house is paid off as they used the money inherited from their parents to foot the majority of the mortgage. However, if you choose to remain here, you are subject to the house tax."

"What are you talking about?" Gale asked.

"The next thing we'll discuss is Viola's inheritance," the lawyer continued. "She has a trust fund which is to be given to her after she reaches the age of 25, though Viola may contest for an earlier release should she need it."

"But, what about now?" Madge inquired. "Is there anything about whose going to take care of Viola?"

"I thought that's why we were here." The man produced a copy of a statement, handing Madge and Gale copies. "They left Viola to you and your husband."

"Husband?" Madge looked to Gale, who was trying to pick his jaw up from the table. "He's not my husband!"

"The way they talked about you two, I thought you were," Plutarch said.

Gale finished reading over the statement. "Those two were fucking insane!"

"I tried to convince them that it wasn't a good idea with your careers and such," the man said. "But, it states clear as day that they reward full custody of their daughter, Viola Eustace Mellark, to Gale Hawthorne and Madge Undersee. As of today, you are both parents."

 **End of Part One.**

Yes, I killed off Everlark, but I feel that they lived a fulfilled, enjoyable life.

Songs: 'December '63 (Oh What A Night)'-Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons **  
**


	2. Autumn

Standard Disclaimer in the first chapter

 **Baby Steps**

 _Autumn_

"They were crazy to pick us."

Madge looked to man next to her. Gale's eyes focused on the sleeping Viola in her white-stained crib, made to complement the nursery with its soft yellow paint and white bunny wallpaper. His hand reached to touch her dowdy curls and Viola's head shifted toward Gale's palm.

Today, they buried Katniss and Peeta. It still didn't feel real.

Madge felt numb, though the feeling of her throat closing began rapidly as their caskets were lowered into the ground. It took the squeeze of Gale's hand on her shoulder to bring her back and the look on his face reflected everything she felt inside. This horrible, sickening pain of not being able to see them walk through the door or to hear a Frankie Valli song without not wanting to burst into tears.

"Do you think that Vi knows that her whole life has changed?" Madge asked quietly. "She's going to see pictures of them giving her kisses and not remember what those kisses felt like. She won't remember the smell of Katniss' perfume or the way Peeta used to blow raspberries on the bottoms of her feet—"

Madge looked to the man next to her.

"She won't know them."

"Hey now," Gale said softly, his voice cracking at the ends. "That's why we're here—so she can remember. We'll show her videos and pictures. I have some of our old high school mementos. I promise that they won't be forgotten."

"Are we really going to do this?" she asked in a pained voice. "Are we going to take over their lives just like that?"

"I don't know." Gale shrugged. "I didn't want this. But you wanted their life. You wanted the house, the happy marriage, the kids—"

"Hell, Gale! I never wanted it like this!" Madge glared venomously through the tears brimming in her eyes. "I wanted my own version. I always imagined that Katniss would be there to hold my hand when I was giving birth and Peeta would act like a class act big brother kind of dick when the guy I wanted to marry came along. I didn't want to do this alone."

Wiping her tears, Madge's gaze went to Viola and she ran her hand along the baby's clothed back.

"Where did I fit in?" Gale asked her suddenly.

She looked to him and shrugged. "I guess you were supposed to be the guy that I screwed to get it all out of my system, before walking down the aisle."

"I can still be that guy," he said lightly, an attempt of a smile growing on his lips.

"I come with a little baggage," Madge told him before looking to the little girl. "Not that I mind because I love Vi like crazy."

"Me, too," Gale added and his arm went around Madge's shoulders. "At least we have that."

There was a knock on the door and Johanna, Haymitch's wife, gave them a sad smile.

"The guests are arriving," she informed the two. "You might want to get down there." Waddling inside, Johanna went to the rocking chair close to Viola's crib. "I can watch her. It took me forever to get up those stairs. Haymitch is either going to have to carry me out or get a crane."

Madge gazed at her worriedly. "You sure?"

"I promise I won't drop him or her in this lovely nursery," Johanna assured her.

"Thanks for helping out with the catering," Gale said to the woman in the rocking chair.

"Now that I'm on maternity leave, my cooking crew doesn't have much to do," she informed them. "Katniss and I were actually thinking of joining up. She would make desserts and my team would do the cooking." Stopping short, Johanna put her hand to her stomach. "That's been put on hold indefinitely."

They could hear the gathering of guests as Haymitch let them in.

"Call Haymitch on your phone if you need anything," Madge told the woman and Johanna nodded before shooing them away.

Together, she and Gale stepped out into the hallway. Smoothing her black dress down, Madge turned to hastily straighten Gale's tie.

"Distracting yourself from going down there?" Gale teased.

Her eyes went to his and Madge patted the tie down.

"If you decide you don't want to do this, then I understand," she said, her eyes serious. "You're right in some way. I do want the marriage and the kids. Maybe one day that will come. But, I also want Viola in my life. She is even more precious to me because she's the only part of Katniss and Peeta that I have."

With that, Madge walked down the stairs leaving Gale to contemplate her words.

* * *

The last of the trash was thrown out and Gale walked through the front door of the house, closing the door with a resounding thud. His eyes went to the picture of his two friends on the entryway table, they were both gazing down at the newborn Viola in Katniss' arms.

Madge had taken the photo after yelling at him for holding Viola like a football. She was a royal pain in the ass, stubborn, and even snooty at times, but he admired her loyalty as well as her calm nature during bad situations.

Like this one.

Walking into the living room, Gale was surprised to find Prim looking over the photos on the mantle.

"Hey Prim." She turned around and blushed seeing him before her. "You okay?"

The young girl had obviously been crying, her pale face flushed and shiny with wiped away tears.

"I guess," Prim replied softly. "I can't believe that they're gone."

"Have a seat," Gale told her and she went to the couch, hugging herself to warm herself from the chill of death. He sat next to her. "It seems like a horrible dream to me. Peeta and I were on the wrestling team together in high school. He always placed first and I always placed second during matches. Except for one match."

Gale felt a ragged chuckle escape his throat and Prim tittered at the sound. "Why did he lose?"

"He saw Katniss in the bleachers of our gym and got distracted," he explained. "You see, Madge was a cheerleader and was there to cheer us on. Katniss tagged along because it was Madge's first year on the Varsity team and she was nervous. She was Madge's support system."

Gale thought about the look in Madge's eyes during their talk. She had kept it all together externally, but he could practically hear wailing in anguish over her best friend not being there.

So strong for everyone else, never for herself—that was Madge.

"I hope I have something like they did," Prim revealed. "Sometimes I would see Mrs. Mellark just brush her thumb along the top of Mr. Mellark's hand whenever I came over for brunch. He would hum to himself as he drank his coffee. They didn't have to talk, but I could feel the love there."

"I think that's what every person wants," Gale said. "The kind of love that doesn't need words." Standing up, he went to the mantle and took the picture that Prim had been looking at: a photo of the Katniss and Peeta helping Vi blow out her candles. "Take this."

Prim looked to him. "Why?"

"So you can remember them," he told her. "So you know what real love can bring. I have wonderful memories of my friends and all the pictures I have of them are inside my head. You know, they thought of you as their little sister."

Prim stood up and took the photo, her eyes thick with tears. "I always thought of them the same way." She looked out the window to see the evening lull in the neighborhood. "Mom and Dad are probably waiting for me. I better get going."

Gale nodded. "Don't worry. You can always come over, babysitting or not."

"I heard that you and Madge have custody of Viola," she said as they walked to the front door. "If it helps, I think you'll be a good dad."

He grinned, lifted at the word, 'Dad'. "Thanks."

Prim rushed out, cheeks bright from her last words.

After Gale made sure that she was safely at home next door, he ascended the stairs to check on Madge and Vi. His counterpart had disappeared after the guests had all left and the food had been eaten.

A yowl of discontent reached his ears and he peeked inside nursery to find Madge holding Vi, her hand rubbing the baby's back. It looked like she had just finished with feeding time and was trying to help Vi sleep.

"Oh, I know that it's hard," Madge said soothingly. "But as you get bigger, it will get easier to just jet off to sleep." Vi let out a smaller whine. "You're really tired, huh?" She shifted to cradle the little one's head in the crook of her arm to rock her. "What can I do?"

From where Gale stood behind the doorway, he saw Vi reach to touch Madge's golden locks. Maybe she was recognizing that it was a similar shade to her father's. The pain of realizing that Peeta and Katniss' daughter would eventually forget the shade of her father's hair tore at him, stinging like the venomous snake that death could be.

"Mu...mhmm…" came the attempt of words from Vi.

Just that simple string of words sounded musical, her melodic voice similar to Katniss'.

Their friend used to sing, performing with the glee club at school, and Peeta would drag both him and Madge to every performance. There was always a bouquet of flowers for Katniss and no matter how small or large her musical piece was, Peeta was always there to give a standing ovation.

Love like that was really out of this world, this universe…this life.

"Do you want me to sing you to sleep, love?" Madge asked. "I'm not as good as your Mommy was, but I'll try. Everything that I do for you, I'll try my hardest because that's what your Mommy would have wanted. I want you to live a good, happy life, Viola—because you are owed it." Vi began to squirm. "Alright…alright…"

Gale rested his head against the doorframe, his eyes closing as he waited.

" _When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful  
Every hour we spent together, lives within my heart  
And when she was sad, I was there to dry her tears  
And when she was happy, so was I, when she loved me…"_

He had heard Katniss sing this song before. During a performance at the wake for Madge's mother.

Mrs. Undersee had been sick for a long time, her cancer slowly spreading out over most of Madge's high school life. Their summer after their freshman year of college, the woman had finally gone to heaven, leaving her daughter all alone. Mr. Undersee died years before from an unexpected heart attack.

" _Through the summer and the fall, we had each other, that was all  
Just she and I together, like it was meant to be  
And when she was lonely, I was there to comfort her  
And I knew that she loved me…"_

That was the only time that Madge ever let him hold her. She wept steadily as Katniss sang, as if her best friend had found a way to release all the pain trapped inside of Madge.

He waited for her to finish singing, enjoying the sweet, low tone of her voice.

"You see?" Gale could hear the tightness in her voice. "I'm not as good as her, Viola—but I can try. I hope that's enough because it's all I can give…all I have, really."

Peeking in, he watched Madge place Vi in her crib and press a kiss to the sleeping child's forehead.

Her steps were heavy as she trudged to the rocking chair.

Sitting, Madge rocked herself and he saw her cover her mouth before wailing into her cupped hands.

Even through her attempts to muffle her sobs, Gale felt her breaking apart and he closed his eyes trying to trap his own tears.

He wanted to be there for her, hold her like before, and he wanted to stop her tears.

So Gale decided to stay.

* * *

 _One Week Later…_

"So I need to stay late at the studio on Tuesday and Thursday evenings," Madge informed Gale as she stood in front of the bulletin board calendar. She placed pink Post-Its on all the Tuesdays and Thursdays on the calendar. "How about you?"

"Friday evenings and Saturday mornings," he replied as he bounced with Vi strapped to his chest.

"Why Friday evenings and Saturday mornings?" she asked as she took out the blue Post-It's to block out his days.

"Friday evenings are date night and Saturday mornings are if the date goes well," he responded.

"That's nice and priggish," Madge remarked snidely.

"Not all of us have dust mites down there," Gale retorted as he bent his knees in a hard bounce with Viola. He pinched the little one's cheeks, cooing at her. "Isn't that right, sweetheart? What does Auntie Madge have?" Viola let out a laugh. "That's right…cobwebs!"

Madge put her hand to her hip. "She's going to throw up on you if you keep bouncing her like that."

"No, she's not," Gale protested as he continued moving. "Vi loves this—"

His shirt was suddenly covered in vomit—pea-green vomit to be exact, which Viola had for lunch.

Madge quickly moved to remove Viola from her harness.

"Don't worry, honey. A lot of people have thrown up on Uncle Gale…"

"Including Auntie Madge." He quickly removed his shirt, letting Madge's gaze linger on his toned abs and rich tan. "Don't you remember London, Mary Poppins? You were so smashed from our pub crawl that you convinced yourself that you could use your umbrella to fly. Instead, you threw up on said umbrella and then on me."

Madge rolled her eyes just as the doorbell rang.

"It was my first international trip." She headed out onto the hallway towards the door with Viola in her arms. "Put a shirt on, Casanova. You don't want to scare the mailman or Prim!"

He followed, his hands going to Madge's shoulders as they walked.

"This is my home now. Shouldn't I be comfortable? I mean, my comfort does include some nudity." She blanched as his mouth went to her ear. "Remember Santorini? Moonlight swims?"

"We were kind of stuck with each other," Madge said though the heat began to rise remembering those nights of wine and tepid midnight water. "Peeta and Katniss were out on the sea, having sex on a sailboat."

"Well, we didn't have to swim naked," he replied as they reached the door. "It was your suggestion."

"I was a child," she protested. "And, I'm a grown-up now."

Gale's hand went to the doorknob. "I miss the young Madge." He yanked the door open. "Especially her breasts."

They looked to the front porch to find a woman in a business suit, her dirty-blonde hair pulled back and her cheeks effusively red. She eyed the two before her gaze settled on the shirtless Gale.

Finally gathering herself, she held her hand out to them.

"My name is Delly Cartwright," the woman began. "And, I am your court-appointed social worker."

 **End of Part Two**

This was supposed to be longer, but I felt that this was a good stop. Also, this was an emotionally difficult chapter to write.

Especially the singing.

Song: 'When She Loved Me'-Sarah McLachlan


	3. Winter

Standard Disclaimer in first chapter.

 **Baby Steps**

 _Winter_

"Do you think that Vi is growing at a good pace?" Madge asked as she bathed the little girl in the tub, her knees on the tile floor. She looked to Gale, who sat on the closed lid of the toilet. "I mean, Regina is three months old and she's almost caught up to Viola."

"Haymitch is a tall man and Johanna is pretty lanky herself," Gale reasoned. "Of course, their kid is going to be the Amazonian type."

"I'll be sure to tell Johanna that." She carefully lifted Vi from the tub as Gale handed her a towel. "Though she wouldn't care…unless it so happened that when Regina was of legal age, you tried to make a move or something gross like that."

"By the time Regina is of age, I'm just hoping I'm on my first hip replacement," Gale told her with a wicked grin. "I plan to get my kicks in while I can. How about you, Miss Cobwebs?"

"That joke is old," Madge said as she stood. "You need to focus. Do you think that Vi is okay?"

"Give her here." Gale lifted Viola from her arms, bouncing her. "You look just the right size to me. Perfect for Uncle Gale to hold…" He stopped suddenly. "…and you just pissed all over me." Viola chuckled, clapping her hands. "You think that's funny, huh?"

"I think it's hilarious," Madge told him as they walked out of the bathroom and into the nursery. "By the way, I have to stay late tonight at the studio."

"This is the second time this week," Gale told her as he placed Viola on the changing table and Madge handed him a diaper. "You're overworking yourself."

"I really have to catch up," she argued. "That two-month leave to get everything settled with the court and here at the house—the studio just took a hit and I have to pay the rent."

"Okay, but right after you get home, I have a date." Gale powdered Vi before lifting her hips carefully to slide the diaper under her rump.

Madge nodded, trying to clean the mess of clothes scattered in the nursery. They had not done a very good job when it came to the upkeep of the nursery, much less the house. Both she and Gale lacked the domestic skills that their friends had; Peeta had been a whiz at home maintenance while Katniss ran the house like a well-oiled machine.

It paid off in a meticulous house—which Gale and Madge managed to destroy in the three months.

"Did you tell her about the two ladies you'll be leaving at home?" Madge asked.

"Yes, that's exactly the pick-up line I use," he retorted as he picked up Viola again. "I have a one-year-old and a nit-picky housemate who treats me like a slave while _not_ letting me take a peek at the goods."

"Just close your eyes and think of Santorini." Madge went to him and patted his cheek. Her phone rang and she frowned seeing the reminder. "I'm late for a shoot…" She went over to Viola and gave her a kiss. "Be a good girl, darling."

Gale pursed his lips. "What about me?"

"I only fell for that once and it was because I was in such a rush," she said quickly. Madge looked to him. "No girls over and none of _those_ movies—Prim found the DVD the last time she came over to babysit. Try explaining to a teenager that ' _One Night in Paris'_ is not a Parisian romance."

"Fine…fine…"

Gale waved her off and Madge dashed down the stairs. He waited for the door to slam before looking to Viola who was currently trying to put her foot in her mouth.

"So what do you think for movie night? _Showgirls_ or _Wild Things_?"

* * *

"Tilt your head…a little bit more—" Madge took the shot and put her camera down. "Perfect."

Glimmer sighed and gave her an exhausted smile. "I never realized how hard headshots could be."

"You have a great look—very wholesome." Going to her computer, she looked at the last shot. "So what is this for?"

"A television series," Glimmer informed her. "I'm flying out to Los Angeles tomorrow and we'll go from there." She looked to Madge. "You look exhausted. How's it going with Viola?"

"She's beautiful and perfect." Madge sat down at the desk chair. "But, I'm a mess and so is Gale. Thank goodness Delly was so understanding that first visit or else we would've never been approved for custody."

"And, how is that hot mancake?" Glimmer picked up the photo of the three and let out a whistle. "Why have you not hit that yet?"

"I have other things on my mind," Madge said simply. "We might have had a chance once, but he blew it."

"I'd love to hear that story."

There was knock on the door and Madge looked up to see Cato entering with a bright smile. He walked up to her desk and nodded at Glimmer.

"So…I'm guessing you hate coffee," he said to Madge.

She stared up at him. "What?"

"It's been awhile since my invite," Cato explained. "I invited you out for coffee and you agreed, but you disappeared. Thank goodness that I had all my patients or I would've been hurt by your lack of response. So what do you have to say for yourself?"

Despite his words, his playful tone was enough to bring a smile to her lips. Her eyes went to Viola and Madge remembered her talk with Gale about the little girl's development.

"Are you taking any new patients?"

* * *

The blonde smelled of cinnamon.

Gale opened his eyes, seeing the woman fast asleep in his bed, and sighed. This was always the hard part and Madge always gave him so much crap for this.

Why was he even hanging out with women like this, knowing that the woman he wanted was asleep across the hall?

Oh yeah, it was because Madge detested him.

He couldn't blame her; Gale had never given her any reason to trust him. He messed up their first date, he teased her, and flaunted his paramours in her face.

Yet she took it with beauty and calm dignity—most of the time.

They were just like grade school kids who would mess with each other to show how much they liked one another.

Well, that was his method.

"Hey handsome." The blonde was up and purring. "Should we go grab some breakfast?"

"Actually…" Gale gave her a smile. "I have a meeting coming up and need to get ready. So, I'll have to take a raincheck."

The woman...her name was Eve, he believed, nodded before grabbing her gold dress off the floor and shimmying it onto her slender body. Before Gale knew it, he was bidding her goodbye at the front door and closing it as quickly as he could without being a total ass.

He leaned back against the door and took a breath—he was getting too old for this.

Opening his eyes, Gale was greeted by Madge walking down the stairs with Vi in her arms. She was grinning at him, all bright teeth and gorgeous eyes.

"She looked...sweet," his housemate remarked before heading to the kitchen.

Gale gave Vi a good morning kiss before meeting Madge's eyes. "She sure as hell didn't act sweet."

"Maybe you didn't give her a reason to," Madge told him. "Come on. Breakfast time for Miss Viola. Coffee and regret for you."

He followed, admiring the sway of her hips, and Vi turned to look at him. The dark-haired toddler stuck her hand out with a happy wave and sweet laugh.

His heart clenched at the sight of them—the two women he loved were right in front of him.

"What excuse did you give her?" Madge asked as they entered the kitchen and she placed Vi in her high chair.

Gale sat in the chair adjacent to Vi, pulling the high chair closer, while Madge took a bowl from the fridge to heat up for Vi before sitting across from him.

"Meeting," he replied. "I actually do have a meeting—" He looked at the kitchen clock. "—in about five minutes." Going to the sink, Gale wet his hands before running them through his hair. Then going to his laptop, which was charging next to the kitchen phone, he grabbed it before sitting down once more. "Now, I'm ready."

"I envy your ability to just roll out of bed that way." Madge sighed, running a hand through her golden locks. Yawning, she gave him an exhausted smile. Gale frowned seeing the dark circles and the tired tremble in her pale lips. "I better get ready for work."

"Why don't you stay home?" He looked her over worriedly. "You're about to keel over."

"Because there's a whole bunch of editing that needs to be done," she pointed out.

"Stay here," he told her. "Stay with me and Vi and our piles of laundry, unwashed dishes, and lack of propriety."

"Maybe," she drawled out. "I have some of my work on a flash drive—"

"Perfect." Gale leaned across the table and kissed her cheek. "I'll make breakfast after my meeting—" His boss' face appeared on the screen. "Hey Effie!"

"Please don't tell me that I'm interrupting another tryst," Effie replied good-naturedly, her light eyes glittering in amusement.

He turned to point the computer's camera at Madge who was falling asleep at the table and Vi, who was waiting expectantly for her breakfast.

"Nope, just having breakfast with these two lovelies."

"Oh God, get Madge a napkin," his boss responded. "She's drooling on that gorgeous table!"

The microwave beeped and he quickly stood up to grab the bowl of warmed cereal. Grabbing the toddler's spoon, Gale placed the bowl by him to wait for it to cool down. Vi whined, her hand reaching for her breakfast and her lips pouting.

She looked unbelievably like Peeta whenever she did that. He used to do the same thing whenever he wanted the last piece of pizza.

"It's so weird to see you domesticated," Effie remarked. "I like it! However, I do have an assignment for you…in Tucson."

"When?"

"Spring. There is a great festival happening that I need you to cover." Effie gave him a conspiring wink. "Maybe you could make it a family piece."

He looked at the sleeping woman across the table. "Ah…we're far from being a family."

Effie shook her head at him. "I think you're closer than you think."

* * *

"So this is the famous Viola." Cato smiled at Madge's Goddaughter, who sat on her lap. He held out his hand to her. "Hello sweetheart."

Holding out his hand, Viola reached out and took his finger before putting it to her nose.

Madge chuckled. "Vi! You can't use someone else's finger to pick your nose!" She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I think Gale may have taught her that. Or, maybe Katniss—she and Gale had the same kind of humor."

Cato looked to Viola's chart. "Gale is Viola's Godfather?"

She nodded, giving him a tight smile.

"Yes. We both have custody…since Katniss and Peeta—" Madge felt the sharp pain hit her gut. "It's still hard to think that they're not here. They were great people and loved this little girl like crazy."

Cato reached over to the counter and took a tissue from the box atop it. "I'm real sorry."

Madge took the tissue and quickly swiped at her eyes.

"I'm okay," she said before looking to Viola. "But, I hate to think that she'll forget about them. That they'll miss her first words or her walking. I just feel like I'm barely making it with her…I don't know if I'm doing a good job…or if she is healthy…"

"You are doing a great job. Viola is perfectly healthy," Cato assured her. "She is a normal sized one-year-old and you have nothing to worry about." However, he pulled out a pad from his white coat and began to write. "This…is for you."

She looked at him in surprise. "You're prescribing me something?"

"No, I'm writing down the days that I'm free," he replied with a grin. Cato held out the paper to her. "Any of these days look good for dinner?"

Madge gave him a tentative look before Viola stuck her finger out to touch the paper.

Cato grinned. "Well, I guess it's decided."

She found herself smiling back. "I guess so."

* * *

"So I'm going out on a date."

Gale looked up from his plate of store-bought pasta in surprise. "With who?"

"Cato. He's the pediatrician that I took Viola to see?" Madge took a careful bite of her lunch before meeting his eyes once more. "Would it be okay if you watched Viola this Saturday?"

"Yeah, sure." Gale picked at his food awkwardly before turning to Viola. "Want to be my date?"

The little girl banged her spoon on the surface of the table.

Madge reached to wipe a glop of spinach from Viola's chin. "I guess that's a yes."

A knock on the front door suddenly sounded through the house.

Their heads shot up and Gale met her eyes. "You expecting anyone?"

Madge shook her head. "You?"

He shook his head.

"Shit…" She stood up abruptly. "It's Delly!"

Immediately, Gale grabbed their plates and put them in the sink. "I'll clean up the living room!"

Madge smoothed down a wrinkle in her button-down before picking up Viola. "We'll go get the door!" She looked to the toddler and gave her a nervous smile. "It's Delly, sweetheart. Try not to yank her top down this time."

They rushed down the hallway, narrowly missing a stuffed animal thrown on the ground, and hurriedly opened the door.

Delly gave her a smile before stepping into the house. "Cleaning up for me, huh?"

The woman always knew how to unnerve Madge. She could tell, however, that the social worker had the best of intentions though it was wrapped in a dry sense of humor.

Delly peeked into the living room to see Gale bent over as he gathered a bunch of Viola's toys off the carpet.

"Hey Gale."

He turned abruptly, dropping some of the wayward toys, and giving her a weak smile. "Hey Delly."

Sighing in exasperation, Delly nodded her head at the couch. "Both of you have a seat."

Madge looked to Gale before going to the couch and sitting down with Viola in her lap. Gale followed after putting the toys in the trunk next to it.

"Families are messy," Delly told them as she sat back in the armchair. "I understand that you're still getting your bearings. I don't mind the mess. But I do mind that you both seem like you don't know what you're doing when it comes to each other. You're not working together."

"We're trying!" Madge said in a rushed voice. "I've pulled back my hours and Gale works mostly from home—" She felt the stirring of tears. Her eyes went to Viola, staring up at her in innocent worry. "Don't take her from us, okay?"

Gale put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "I'm not going to let that happen."

Delly looked at the two for a moment. "Honestly, how is it going?"

"It's hard," Madge admitted. She looked around the house, seeing the pictures of their friends around them. "Because we miss them every day. The studio is behind on business and rent. I worry that Viola is going to grow up and realize how much we don't know…"

"We do know that we care about her," Gale told Delly. "That we love her. I always believed that love could get you through anything. If there's anything that Katniss and Peeta taught me, it was that. I intend to tell Vi that when she's old enough to understand."

The social worker smiled at them.

"Now there you go." She looked to Viola, who was pushing herself up from Madge's lap and into Delly's held-out arms. "Viola seems perfectly fine." The woman brought the little girl onto her lap. "It's you two who are a hot mess."

"Then what do you suggest?" Madge asked tiredly.

"Start with the house," Delly suggested. "Clean it up. Make it your own." She looked to Viola, who was playing with the buttons of the woman's suit jacket. "The rest will just follow."

Delly eyed them warily, bouncing Viola, and earning a musical giggle from the toddler.

"And, you were supposed to be my easiest family."

* * *

"She's right, you know."

Gale's gaze went to Madge from where he sat on the living room floor. Viola crawled around him, rearing every once in awhile.

Madge hugged the throw pillow, looking over at him. "What?"

"We need to get it together," he replied. "Look at this place. It's like living in a mausoleum devoted to them."

"They were our best friends, Gale," Madge responded tersely. "We can't just act like we didn't lose them."

"But, we can't act like they weren't ordinary, living breathing people, either. We're acting like we'll never live up to them when they struggled as much as we are right now." Gale sat up and took the remote from the coffee table. "I found this while I was cleaning up one day and was waiting for a bad day to watch it again."

Turning on the television in the cupboard in front of them, Gale set it to streaming mode.

It was a recording of their friends. Katniss was holding Viola and from the looks of it, their daughter was only days old, swaddled in a yellow blanket. They were inside the nursery and Madge watched Peeta zooming in to look at Viola's sleeping face.

" _Look at this gorgeous face!"_

" _Goddamnit, Peeta! Did you even air out the place before we came home?"_

The camera was placed down and Peeta walked over to his annoyed wife, shoulders slumped, and expecting a thorough chewing out.

" _This is everything that you asked for! Soft yellow…bunny wallpaper…I did everything you asked!"_

" _I didn't ask for Vi to spend her first night in a chemical-scented room. Did you even wash the crib beddings?"_

" _Fuck Katniss! I washed the beddings!"_

Katniss wagged her finger at her husband.

" _Don't you curse in front of our daughter!"_

The camera shut off—the battery was most likely dying—and Madge let out a laugh.

She shook her head. "God, they were a mess."

"But, they got it together," Gale responded, a chuckle falling from his lips. "We have to stop living like they're going to come back and we're just babysitting."

Madge sighed. "How do you figure we do that?"

"Well, first of all, you take a nap because you're about to fall apart," he responded before crawling over to Viola who was lounging against a giant teddy bear. "Little Miss Mellark and I will figure it out."

When Madge awoke from her nap, the house was cleaned and the laundry was being done.

And, there in the entryway was a photo of her and Gale with Viola—the very one that she kept in her office.

* * *

"So it was you, Gale, Katniss, and Peeta…who are Viola's parents."

Madge nodded at Cato, her hands in her pockets, as they walked down the empty alley and away from the restaurant where they had just finished dinner.

"I met Katniss and Gale in grade school. They were bussed in from another district to the school near my house. Then in high school, Gale met Peeta and they became best friends. They were on the wrestling team and one day, I was assigned to cheer for a match. Katniss came along to support me. She and Peeta just fell for each other—actually, I think Katniss fell more in love with his ass that day."

Madge laughed to herself, remembering the light in her friend's eyes seeing Peeta smile at her that first time.

"They seemed like a really cool couple," Cato said.

She took a short breath, trying to calm the watering in her eyes, and reaching to wipe the corners. "They were."

Cato's hand suddenly reached for hers and he gave her a hesitant smile. "Is this alright?"

Madge squeezed his hand back. "It is."

They stopped and he reached to brush a finger against her chin, his blue eyes warm as he gazed at her.

"Would it be okay if I kissed you?"

She stopped for a minute.

Dinner had been fun and Cato had been so sweet. Kissing him seemed like the next step towards an actual relationship.

But inside, there was hesitation—like some invisible force keeping her from moving forward.

Cato stepped back and she knew he could sense her indecision.

"We can wait. Because I think you're worth it, Madge. I think we could have something great, just like Katniss and Peeta had. But only if you want it."

Well, wasn't _it_ what she wanted?

And, wasn't Cato the perfect person to have it with?

Carefully, Madge approached and her arms circled his neck.

She made her decision and leaned in to press her lips to his.

* * *

Quietly, Madge closed the door as she walked into the house. It was well past midnight and Viola was probably asleep.

However the light in the living room was on and when she looked into the room, her heart leapt.

On the couch, Gale slept with Viola, who laid across his torso.

They had been watching some videos and Madge sat down in the armchair, reaching for the remote to press play.

" _It's prom night!"_ Katniss in her burgundy sequin dress, beamed at the camera. _"Come on, let me show you this gorgeousness."_ Her friend moved through the crowd, finding her, and putting an arm around Madge's younger self, dressed in a navy chiffon gown. _"This is my bestest friend in the world, Madge!"_

" _How much did you have to drink?"_ she asked on the video. Katniss was giving her kisses on the cheek as she laughed. _"Sweets, I don't think Peeta wants us to be getting this close!"_

" _I wouldn't mind a little kiss!"_ The voice came from behind the camera. _"No tongue though!"_

Katniss swiped at the camera, her smile pretty and hazy. _"Perv!"_

"We had a bet going on whether or not you two would actually do it." Madge turned to see Gale sitting up, a sleeping Viola cradled to his chest. "I lost, however, and ended up going home alone."

Madge paused the video, laughing softly. "Me and Katniss did our kissing before prom, thank you very much."

"What I would've done to be a fly on that wall," Gale said under his breath. "Come sit with us."

Getting up, Madge joined them and turned the recording back on.

She watched as Katniss hugged her and they chatted, unaware of Peeta filming them. They looked so opposite, like night and day, yet Madge always felt like Katniss was the sister she had always wanted.

The camera moved over to Gale and she tilted her head, seeing him watching her and Katniss.

He looked pensive…nervous almost.

"You were just so beautiful." It came out in a timid whisper, very unlike Gale. "I knew I messed up and I just wanted one moment…to just tell you I'm sorry and explain what had happened before our date."

Madge turned to him, the sounds on the video fading into the background. "What happened?"

"I was so nervous," he admitted. "So I went to the flower shop and was telling the girl about how I was going to go out with this girl that I had a crush on since forever. The next thing I knew, she was closing the shop and then I was late to get you."

Gale looked to her, his grey eyes pained.

"I'm so sorry, Madge. I fucked up. I'm not perfect and I know you don't like me. But every day I regret never telling you how beautiful I always thought you were, inside and out."

Madge sucked in her tears at his words. They felt so real, wrapping her insides in a warmth she never knew could happen with anyone.

"Cato kissed me," she told him abruptly.

"Did you like it?" Gale asked, suddenly closer.

"I don't know," Madge breathed out. "I have nothing to compare it to."

Gale laughed roughly. "Then let me help you."

Her eyes closed when she felt the first brush of his lips to hers. The kiss was soft—tentative—but it left her aching to the core. Madge pressed forward, her mouth opening to taste Gale and that small bit of hope of what they could become.

They couldn't be Katniss and Peeta.

But together, they could just be _them_.

Her eyes opened as Gale pulled away, making sure that Viola wasn't disturbed.

He stared at her in question. "What do you think?"

Madge sat back, her gaze on him and a singular thought in her head:

She was fucked.

 **End of Part Three**


	4. Spring

Standard Disclaimer in first chapter

 **Baby Steps**

 _Spring_

Madge opened the letter, frowning as she read over its contents before tossing it on the coffee table.

Sitting back against the couch, she sighed before getting back to work—there was still another load of laundry left. Gale was out getting groceries with Viola since they were tired of eating breakfast burritos.

Gale.

It had been almost two months since her first date with Cato, since Gale had revealed what had happened before their own first date, since he had kissed her…

However the next day, both of them chose not to acknowledge what had happened, instead reverting to playful banter and awkward jokes.

Viola saw no difference—thank goodness.

"Honey, I'm home!" The door slammed shut and Gale entered the living room with Viola in one arm, and a tote bag of groceries hanging from his opposite shoulder. His smile faded seeing Madge slouched on the couch. "What's wrong?"

She didn't respond and Gale, undeterred from her behavior, sat next to her. Viola crawled onto her lap, taking her loose gold tresses in her small fingers to examine it. She smiled watching the little girl's curiosity, the action reminding Madge so much of Katniss.

Her best friend had always had an innate inquisitiveness when she found something of interest. It was bugs in grade school, then different kinds of flowers in middle school.

Then Peeta in high school.

"Aunt Madge is kind of a loser, Vi," she declared. "You still like me, don't you?"

Vi leaned over until they were practically nose to nose before he blew a raspberry in her face.

"You took my cheer-up method, VI!" Gale said with a chuckle. He held up the notice before meeting Madge's eyes. "This isn't the end of the world."

"I'm going to lose the studio," Madge responded. "It was a dumb idea to even think about expanding into a regular studio in the first place. I should've stuck to the appointments through my website."

"But you were killing yourself," Gale reasoned. "Katniss used to tell me that the travelling was taking a toll on you."

"Then what do you suggest?" she asked him.

"I can lend you the money," he told her simply.

Madge shook her head, adjusting so Viola could rest against her chest. "No."

"Why not?" Gale argued. "You need it. This is important to you. Also, once you're back up and running—you can pay me back."

"It doesn't feel like enough," she said simply.

"Then…" Gale looked down for a moment and after a long breath, met her eyes. "…let's go on a date."

Madge straightened, wrapping her arms around Viola's tiny body. "What?"

"You know…the thing I was supposed to take you on before royally fucking up." His grey eyes looked to her shyly. "I want to try it again."

She bit her lip in contemplation. They were finally confronting what was really happening between them. But, what if it didn't work out?

They were raising Viola together and they lived in the same house—

"You're thinking too hard," Gale stated, amusement in his gaze. "I know that you're still seeing Cato, but you can't deny that we need to confront whatever is happening here."

Madge looked to their Goddaughter. "What do you think? Yes or no?"

Viola titled her head in contemplation before beaming, her growing front tooth prominent. "Jest!"

"There you go!" Gale called out in triumph, his strong arms pumping up victoriously. He looked to Viola in adoration. "You're my lucky charm, Vi!"

Viola followed, throwing her arms up. "Jest!"

* * *

"A date, huh?" Johanna stirred her cup of coffee before meeting Madge's eyes. "And, this isn't going to be weird?" She held Regina, who was dead asleep in her free arm. "And what about Cato?"

Madge looked to her guiltily. "Well, we're still sort of seeing each other. He's busy with his practice and I'm busy with my business. We never really talked about exclusivity." Next to her, Viola sat in her high chair. "Vi is the one who accepted for me."

"You mean to tell me that you're leaving your dating life and coochie time in the hands of a one-year-old?" Johanna stared at her in doubt. "I think you have no idea what you're doing—and it's going to bite you in the ass."

Madge chuckled. "I can see why you and Katniss were friends. You both have a penchant for not sugarcoating things."

"I can see why you and Katniss were friends, too," the woman retorted. "Because you, my dear, are adorably clueless when it comes to relationships."

"Then it makes sense why I'm the single one."

"What matters is that you're actually dealing with what is happening between you two," Johanna replied. "You're both grown-ups and all this playing around can't be all for naught." She smiled at Madge, reaching to take another drink from her cup, before speaking once more. "Are you at least excited about it?"

Madge grinned to herself. "Yes. Believe or not, I am."

There was a little cry and Madge turned to Viola, her arms reaching out for the bottle on the table.

"Ba…ba..."

She handed Vi the bottle. "Can you say 'Madge'?" Her goddaughter stared for a moment before shaking her head. "Fair enough."

"That stubborn look of knowing…" Johanna gazed affectionately at Viola. "It's amazing how I see both of them in that look."

"Sometimes I miss them so much." Madge looked to her friend. "Sometimes I feel like I'm babysitting and they'll just be back by the end of the day. But then evening comes and no one is coming through that door. Delly is right; we're still working on becoming a family—and I'm still dealing with things not just being me."

"And, you're going to complicate things even more by going out on a date with Gale," Johanna said mockingly.

"Any suggestions?" Madge asked.

Johanna looked to Regina, snuggling against her, and then Vi drinking vigorously from her bottle.

"Use protection."

* * *

Madge looked in the mirror as she put her earrings on. They were actually Katniss' but she borrowed them so much that her best friend insisted that she keep them. They were tiny pearls with a silver sheen and went well with the black sleeveless dress that she wore.

"You ready, Madge?" Gale suddenly called out from downstairs.

She took a deep breath. This was it.

After all these years, they were finally going on a date.

Grabbing her bag, Madge quickly walked out of her room and down the stairs to where Gale was waiting at the bottom of the steps. Beside him, Prim held Viola, who chewed attentively on a frozen teething ring since another tooth was coming in.

Gale beamed at Madge and she slowed in her steps seeing him in his old Letterman jacket.

"Whoa…blast from the past!" Madge reached the final step. "What am I missing?"

"It's a little late," Gale said with a grin. "But, I hope you like it."

He reached inside of his jacket to pull out a single flower—a daffodil.

Taking the flower, she felt her cheeks warm up and her mouth rose in a smile. "Thanks."

"I can take that," Prim offered. She took the bloom before pulling back and looking between the two shyly. "You two make a really cute couple."

The teenager rushed off into the kitchen with Viola in tow, leaving them to chuckle at her words.

"She says that about a lot of people," Madge offered. "I heard her mooning over one of the Hemsworths the last time she came to babysit."

"The hotter one I hope," he responded with a grin. "Shall we?"

Gale rushed over to the door, opening it for her, and a smile spread onto her glossed lips at his gesture. Walking past him, Madge stepped out onto the porch as Gale called out to let Prim know that they were taking off.

After he closed the door, Gale went to her side and Madge breathed in his spiced cologne, releasing her nerves with a slow breath. This was Gale; the boy she had known since high school, the one who was the bane of her existence…the one who she had partied with in Santorini.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked suddenly.

Madge turned to him and smiled. "Santorini."

Gale chuckled, his hand reaching to take hers. They headed down the walkway and into the evening.

"Tonight seems to have that feeling. The air feels the same," he acknowledged. "Except that we don't have to worry about being kicked off of our sailboat so Katniss and Peeta could bump heads." They stopped on the sidewalk and Gale looked to her. "I thought that we would forego my bike tonight."

She looked at the beat-up Toyota, recognizing it right away. "How did you get your old car back?"

"It was at my Mom's," he informed her. Opening the creaky door for Madge, she carefully sat down and adjusted her skirt. Gale stared down at her for a moment, a smile growing across his finely chiseled face. "You look really pretty, by the way."

Madge blushed. "Thanks."

Gale rounded the car and, opening the driver's side door, he quickly hopped into his seat. Madge touched the plush dice hanging off the rearview mirror—a gift from Peeta and Katniss after Gale had gotten the car during their senior year.

"It even smells the same in here," she remarked.

"What does it smell like?" Gale asked curiously as he started the engine.

Madge met his dark eyes in the dimness of the car. "Like hormones and gym socks."

"Exactly what I needed to set the mood," he replied with a laugh.

Her hands went to the radio knob, looking for a good station. "So what are we doing?"

"Well first, don't mess with the radio," Gale said, taking her hand away from the buttons and entwining their fingers. "Second, I'm making good on our first date plan."

* * *

"So you were going to take me to Greasy Sae's?"

Madge looked around the old diner with its checkered floors, rounded counters and stools, and that old jukebox that Katniss used to sing along with whenever she had too much to drink. Gale led her to their usual booth next to the window overlooking the quiet main street of Panem.

"Of course," he responded. "The truth was that I wanted to show you off. I mean, Madge Undersee, the cheerleader, finally agreed to go out with me. Plus, I knew what you liked here." As if on cue, one of the waitresses approached their booth, eyeing Gale appreciatively. "Burger. No tomatoes, no onions, and extra mushrooms, steak fries, and a cherry coke for the lady. I'll have the same." He winked at the woman and she blushed before rushing off.

"What if I didn't want you to order that?" she countered.

Gale cocked his head at her, his grey eyes teased. "So you have a more refined palate now?"

"Fuck no—that's exactly what I wanted!" She looked at him from across the table. "I guess I'm flattered that you know what I like."

He reached for her hand resting on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I just want you to be happy."

"How do you know I'm not?" Madge responded.

"It hasn't been easy on us these past few months," Gale said. "I know I haven't been the best roommate and maybe it's because I'm afraid of disappointing you."

She looked at him in concern. "Why would you disappoint me?"

"Because you make me want to be better and I can never seem to pull through," he told her. The earnestness in his eyes made her chest flutter and she gave his hand a squeeze. "You never knew how much your approval meant to me. Whenever I fucked up, I just knew that you were adding on to the list of reasons why you could never be with someone like me."

"Gale…" Madge stood up and went to sit on his side. "Scoot over." He complied, letting her slip in next to him. "It was high school and we were just kids. We're not the same as we were before. Look at Katniss and Peeta—I mean—they were fucking psychos!"

Gale chuckled. "That is true. I mean, only Katniss could get Peeta to climb the school's flag pole naked to hang her bra for everyone to salute."

"And to think, they got married first and had a kid," she said. "So as you can see, people change. We were the lucky ones because we all managed to stick together through all those changes."

A group of teenagers walked in, gathering in the back, and Gale and Madge watched them fondly remembering that, once upon a time, that was them.

Suddenly, the jukebox erupted and Gale let out a guffaw. "Do you remember this song?"

Madge nodded. "I remember. There was a school rally and it was movie-themed. You and Peeta decided that you wanted to recreate the fight scene from _The Karate Kid, Part Two_. Peeta even got Katniss to dress up in a full kimono to play Tamlyn Tomita's part."

"We must've watched that movie a thousand times," Gale recalled.

She nodded in agreement, remembering he and Peeta sitting in Gale's basement rewinding his VCR to that specific scene.

"I know…it drove Katniss and me crazy."

"Get up," he told her suddenly.

Madge snapped her head at him. "What?"

Gale sighed, almost expectant at her resistance. "Go with it." Standing up, she watched him scoot before rising in front of her and holding out his hand. "Just take my damn hand, Undersee."

She took it and grinned. "Fine, Hawthorne."

Pulling her close, Gale wrapped an arm around her waist as they began to sway in front of their booth.

" _Tonight it's very clear  
As we're both lying here  
There's so many things I wanna say…"_

There was a hoot and Madge craned her head to see the group of teenagers watching them. She looked up and smiled at the man before her, wearing his Letterman jacket, and gazing down at her as if she held the key to everything.

"We have an audience," she whispered against him.

Gale leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her neck. "Then, we better make it a good show."

He moved her hands to the nape of his neck as he pressed her close.

" _Sometimes I just forget  
Say things I might regret  
It breaks my heart to see you crying…"_

"Thank you," Madge found herself saying.

He lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes. "For what?"

"For making this a perfect first date," she told him thickly.

"Dip her man!" one of the guys in the back hollered.

Gale winked and Madge nodded before pulling away, so he could twirl her out. They moved seamlessly and as she returned to him, her eyes closed as Gale easily dipped her, his hand supporting the tail of her back. As Madge slowly rose from the move, she found herself sliding against his hard body and a shiver of anticipation rushed through her, feeling his body against hers.

Somewhere behind them, the group of teenagers cheered.

However neither of them noticed, too caught up in the dance.

" _I am a man who will fight for your honor  
I'll be the hero you're dreaming of  
We'll live forever  
Knowing together  
That we did it all for the glory of love…"_

* * *

They stepped onto the porch, hand in hand.

It had been a good night, ending by a drive home with her head on his shoulder.

"So did you have a good time?" Gale asked as they reached the door.

"I did." Madge turned to him, her eyes contemplative. "Did you ever think how different it might've been if we didn't waste all this time?"

"Maybe we would've given Vi a playmate," he responded.

Madge snorted. "I don't know. I'm pretty set on changing the world. Don't know if I could do that knee-deep in diapers."

"Trust me. You can change the world—engaged, married, knocked-up…as you. You're a powerful woman, Madge." Gale pulled her close, feeling the rapid beats along their chests. "Would you let someone like me kiss you?"

"Yes." Her arms wove around his neck. "I've been waiting for you to kiss me, since…" She thought for a moment. "…I decided to cheer for you at the wrestling match."

Gale gazed down at her, a small smile on his lips. "Decided?"

"Yeah. Cheerleaders aren't obligated to cheer at wrestling matches," she explained self-consciously. "I volunteered and Katniss was there for moral support…and as my wing girl."

Gale lifted her chin, his lips grazing against her chin. "Now I'd really like to kiss you."

She closed her eyes. "Then kiss—"

"Hey guys?" They turned to find Prim, her cream face scarlet as she stared at them. "I have a riding lesson early tomorrow so I have to get home and go to bed."

They pulled apart guiltily.

"Sorry, Prim," Madge apologized. "Go ahead and get home."

"Here, sweetheart." Gale handed Prim a twenty. "A little extra for being so responsible."

"Thanks," Prim said as she stepped down the porch. "Vi is sleeping in her playpen. I didn't want to wake her up."

"Don't worry about it," Madge assured her. "We'll bring her upstairs."

Making sure that Prim got home safely, they walked back into the house and into the living room. Madge went to the playpen to see Viola asleep on her stomach, her diapered rump up in the air.

"She looks like Katniss did on her 21st birthday," Gale remarked. Carefully, he lifted their goddaughter into his strong arm. "Let's get you to bed, baby girl."

Madge turned off the lights in the living room before joining Gale at the stairs so they could head up tuck Viola in. The little one took no notice at their movements, snoring as they laid her in her crib. Madge put a light blanket over the little girl and leaned down to give her a kiss.

"Sweet dreams, love," she whispered.

Gale caressed her hair, moving Viola's dark tresses from her forehead. "Goodnight Vi."

Taking Madge's hand, he guided her out of their goddaughter's room.

They stood in the hallway, walking silently to their rooms.

Nervously, Madge turned to Gale.

"Gale—"

She was cut off as Gale kissed her, his arms wrapping tight around her waist as her own arms wove around his neck. He pressed her against the wall and a groan escaped her mouth tasting hints of cherry coke on his tongue.

"Madge…" His lips moved along her neck, sending shivers of pleasure pulsing to her center. His hands moved up her waist and she arched yielding along the strong lines of his body. He was hard against her core and the thought that she did that to him had her soaked immediately. "…do you want…?"

"Yes." Her hand moved to find her door behind her. "My room."

Opening the door, she kissed him again, leading him to her bed.

Gale pulled away, watching her in the darkness of the room. "This can't be real."

Madge moved back against her bed, emboldened by his kiss and the rush of heat between them. Her hands went to the skirt of her dress, pulling it over her head, and tossing it away.

"Wow." Gale swallowed slowly, taking her in—only in her black lace bra and matching panties. "Even better than Santorini."

"Come here," she beckoned and he walked towards her, removing his own shirt before reaching her. "I agree—" Her eyes explored his well-formed abs and her palm traveled along the rivulets of muscle. "Much…much…better than Santorini."

He scooped her up and laid her on the bed, smiling down at her in adoration. "Well, I guess we should finish what we almost started on that beach."

"You're so sure that it would've happened."

Gale thumbed a hard nipple through the thin lace of her bra. Hissing, she spiked at the sensation pushing her thighs together to keep the wetness from escaping.

His grey eyes met hers, fire behind them. "Wouldn't it?"

His pants were suddenly gone and her thighs parted, welcoming him between, her hands reaching to guide him past the scrap of cloth along her slit.

"Yes." Gale slid inside and she cried out as he filled her, hot and throbbing. "Yes…"

She drew him into a kiss, silencing him for the rest of the night.

* * *

The sunlight filtered into the room and Gale groaned as it hit his closed eyelids. Slowly, he opened his eyes finding himself buried in softly-scented hair. His eyes gazed upon Madge, still asleep, a relaxed smile on her pink lips.

She was beautiful.

For as long as Gale could remember, he had loved her. Yet somehow, he always managed to screw things up whenever she was in the vicinity.

That first time that Gale had seen her walking down the hallways of their high school, he was floored—Madge, in her white tennis skirt, yellow polo, and golden hair in a high pony-tail.

He was a goner.

A garbled groan escaped her mouth and Madge's long lashes flickered before she opened her eyes to gaze up at him. He held his breath in caution.

In the morning light, would she regret their time together?

Slowly, Madge sat up and her eyes went to him. He held in his breath in trepidation.

"Good morning," she whispered with a smile.

Gale let out a sigh, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Good morning."

Madge blushed, her eyes roving over his top half, and she grinned at him. "We're naked under here."

He shivered, her hands dancing across his chest. "Yes, we are."

She sat up and Gale gazed at her appreciatively, her sweet heart-shaped face and bright blue eyes, elegant curves with full breasts—but, it was all overshadowed by that pearled smile.

Madge straddled him, sinking into his morning erection easily. Her hands planted on his chest as she anchored herself and began to move languidly. Gale moaned at the sensation of her, tight and wet, her core pulsating around him.

"Oh God…" She threw her head back, her breasts pushed out and her rosy nipples pointed in the heated air. "Gale…"

He could feel himself already falling apart and he thrusted up, savoring the sound of her honeyed moan.

"Fuck…Madge…"

His teeth clenched, straining to keep himself in control, until he felt her come undone around him. Madge suddenly threw her head back, eyes squeezed shut as she fell apart. Gale felt her tightened around him and his eyes closed, feeling the blinding light of his orgasm taking his body over.

He loved her.

Madge fell against his chest, her lips pressing kisses to his skin, and she met his eyes, watching him closely.

"What?" he asked, his hand moving her hair away so he could look into her eyes.

"Did you know what you said?" she asked, a mischievous smile on her lips.

Gale shook his head. "No. What did I say?"

Suddenly Viola wailed and Madge shot up in bed.

"It's time for her bottle." She stood up, picking up the shirt he was wore last night off the floor, and quickly put it on. "I'll be back."

"Madge!" Gale called out and she turned at the doorway. "What did I say?"

She gazed at him warmly, her body halfway out the door.

"You said you loved me."

* * *

"Wow…sex and you got him to declare his love." Glimmer looked to Madge as she drank from her water bottle. "You are amazing."

Madge looked to her friend doubtfully.

"Amazing isn't the word. More like 'clueless' as Johanna would put it. I mean…I froze up." She went back to the screen, concentrating on removing the slight scar on Glimmer's headshot. "I didn't say it back."

"Did he mention it?"

"No," Madge replied. "He didn't seem upset…more disappointed, maybe. I know that he doesn't expect to go running from rooftops shouting my love—but I know he wants things to be real."

"Real?" Glimmer repeated. "There is nothing fake about this relationship. There is nothing but hot sex and the possibility of love."

"There is the Cato factor." Madge bit her lip in frustration. "I still have to let him know about all this."

"Oh yeah…"Glimmer cradled her cheeks on her palms, elbows on the desk. "Kind of forgot about him."

The door opened and the subject of the conversation walked in, Cato's grin bright and welcoming. Glimmer gave Katniss the side eye as she stood up to greet him.

"Long time, no see," Cato said before looking to Glimmer. "Hey Glimmer. How did the audition go?"

"Went well," Madge's friend replied easily. "I'm actually going to my second callback in a week." Standing, Glimmer gathered her things. "I have to take off. Gotta get to my Pilates class." She eyed Madge, silently urging her to get things over with. "See you guys around."

Glimmer walked out quickly, leaving the two alone, and Madge looked out the window just in time to see the woman mouth at her, ' _Tell him!_ '.

Cato took Glimmer's seat and looked to her. "So what's been going on?"

Sighing, Madge turned to him. "A few things." She gave him a weak smile. "Let's talk."

* * *

"You're a hard man to get a hold of," Effie remarked. She looked around the quaint coffee shop before turning to Gale and Vi. "And, look at you—a family man!"

"Vi won't even call me by my name," he replied. "Right now, Madge and I are outranked by 'yes', 'banana', and 'Pim'. So I think I'm a bit far from being domesticated."

"Pim?" Effie repeated, watching Vi fondly.

"Prim," Gale explained. "Her babysitter." Taking a bottle from his work bag, he put it within Vi's reach and his goddaughter took it hungrily, drinking quickly as her bright-blue eyes stared at his boss. "So what's up?"

"Your upcoming trip," Effie began. "I didn't mention this—with everything going on—but it's actually an interview of sorts. The city of Tucson is looking for someone to become the new editor for their official website—and they want you."

"Me…living in Tucson?" Gale looked to her in confusion. "I know that I wanted to become an editor but—"

"It's a great stepping stone," his boss replied. "And, I'd hate to lose you, but this is a great opportunity. I can almost guarantee that once you finish the assignment, you'll be offered the position."

"That sounds great!" he responded. There was a melodic hum and Gale looked to see Vi putting her bottle on the table and then looking to him. He felt the hitch of hesitation at the thought of moving Vi so far from her home. "I don't know if I should take the job."

Effie looked at him in surprise. "Did you talk to Madge about this?"

He shook his head. "I just got her to go out with me. We're getting along great…and I'm sort of in love with her."

"Have you had 'the talk'?" Effie asked.

"We've already slept together," he replied breezily. "I'm pretty sure that we don't need 'the talk'."

"I'm not talking about the sex talk, you moron." Effie shook her head at him. "I'm talking about the 'What are we?' talk. You know…is this a boyfriend/girlfriend thing or just hooking up whenever the urge hits? Is there marriage in the future?"

"It's only been a few days!" Gale groused at her. "I mean, she hasn't even said that she loves me back!"

Effie took a sip from her cup, before meeting his eyes once more. "Then I suggest you find out before you put your career on hold."

"Well, me and Vi are going to meet her at the studio in an hour," he said in contemplation.

Gale looked down at Viola who offered him a smile. The tears rose seeing his best friend in that smile. Peeta would have urged him to accept the position, but would also tell him that he needed to talk to Madge, especially if they were really serious about making their relationship work.

Effie nodded. "Well, alright. Let me know." She looked at Vi once more. "I can see a lot of you in Viola."

Gale placed a kiss on top of the little girl's head before smiling at his boss.

"Now that's something to be excited about."

* * *

"I'm sorry," Madge said after the strange moment of silence between her and Cato. "This is a new thing and I don't want to hurt you—but I don't want you to feel like I'm hiding anything from you. Gale and I…are complicated right now."

Cato remained silent for a moment. Finally, he met her eyes and she was relieved when he gave her a light smile.

"You're right," he told her. "We never talked about being exclusive. Have you and Gale talked about it?"

Madge shook her head. "This was recent."

"Madge, I don't want to secede," Cato told her bluntly. "I think that there's something here." He met her eyes and took her hands. "I just need you to know that I'm here. I'm not ready to let go of whatever we could be." He met her eyes. "Unless you're absolutely in agreement that you and Gale are set on one another."

There hadn't been the talk.

She and Gale were happy to sleep in her bed, wake up and have breakfast with Viola, then separate when they had to go to their respective jobs. It was too soon to have any kind of talk. Also, Madge knew that he loved her, but she had not said it back. She didn't know why she was hesitant, but she did know she needed time to process.

"We're not," Madge said after a moment. "I just don't want you to feel like I'm stringing you along."

He flicked her nose and grinned. "There are always strings, Pinocchio."

The door opened and Gale walked in along with Viola, with a smile. That smile quickly fell from seeing Cato sitting next to her, his hand too close to her face.

"Hey guys!" she greeted brightly and Viola clapped in happiness seeing her.

"I should get going. I'm meeting with a patient in a few minutes," Cato told her and stood up. He walked towards the door, approaching Gale and Viola. "Hey sweetie…" He held out his hand to Viola, who took his finger and gave it a vigorous shake. Then Cato looked to Gale and nodded. "Nice seeing you, Gale."

Cato quickly left with a click of the door.

Gale met her eyes. "So…good talk?"

"Yeah, I told him about us," she replied as they headed further into the studio. Viola pressed her hands on Gale's chest and he complied, putting her down on the floor so she could crawl. He looked to Madge, his dark eyes cool, and she steeled herself for her next words. "He says that he's not ready to give up…unless we've decided on us."

Gale nodded.

"Fair enough," he said as they sat at her editing desk. "Effie came to visit. She told me that the job in Tucson is basically an interview. They want someone to be an editor for the city's website—and I'm almost guaranteed the job."

"Oh." Madge was surprised by the amount of pain his news caused. "Well…that's great. It's what you wanted and you deserve it—"

"Goddamnit, Madge!" Gale suddenly burst out. "Could you even be a little bit hurt by my news?"

"Of course, I'm upset!" she shouted back. "But at the same time, I can't hold you back! You have your dreams! And, I have mine!"

"My dreams have always included you in my life," he countered. "Could you say the same for me?"

Madge readied herself to respond—but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. She sat back in her chair as Gale ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"That's just fine." Gale stood from his seat. "You can't even muster the courage to fight for me—to want me back!"

"Can you just give me time?" Madge asked helplessly. "I just need to think—"

"I'll give you the time." Gale looked at her, his eyes steely. He went to give Viola a kiss. "I'm going to take few days away."

"Where the hell are you going?" she cried out. "You can't just walk away from this!"

He was already headed towards the door. "Well, what is this?"

Gale left with a final click of the studio door.

Madge sat back down, willing away her tears, when Viola pushed herself up using her knee.

She sniffled and smiled at the little girl. "That's the first time you've done that."

Viola stared up at her, a grin on her round face.

Picking her up, Madge brought her to the backdrop and put her gently on the floor. Grabbing her camera, she looked though her camera's viewfinder to look at Viola—her hair had grown to her shoulders and she had gone up a size in clothes.

Madge had been so worried that Viola may have regressed in development—but she just needed time.

She realized that Viola was becoming just like her.

Quickly, Madge snapped the photo and then looked at the camera's screen to make sure the picture was alright. Sitting next to Viola, she showed the little girl the photo.

"You see? That's you," she explained to the little girl crawling onto her to see the picture. "You have your Mommy's dark hair and those big blue eyes are from your Daddy…"

She didn't realize that she was crying until Viola stood up to blow another raspberry to her cheek.

* * *

"So there's extra blankets in the closet and feel free to raid the fridge," Haymitch said. The man leaned against the doorway of the Abernathy living room as Gale sat down on the couch. "Sorry about the couch, but Regina has taken the only other room."

"Don't even worry. I really appreciate you taking me in," Gale replied. He sat back and looked to the man. "Madge and I had a fight."

"From what Johanna's been telling me, you two have been hot and heavy," Haymitch told him, his arms crossed. "What changed?"

"I don't know." Gale replied. Haymitch sat in the armchair adjacent to the couch so Gale could continue. "It was never hard for me to share how I felt about her. It just seems harder for her and, when she doesn't respond, I feel like I'm kind of left out in the cold."

"Have you ever thought that it's hard on her, too?" Johanna stepped into the living room. She sat on Haymitch's lap. "I mean, Madge lost her parents, then her best friend…I guess if I were her, then I'd feel like everyone I loved was bound to leave me at some point."

"How can I assure her that I'm going to stay?" Gale asked. "How do I get her to choose me?"

"Well you don't go running out of the house," Haymitch told him frankly. "You stay."

"And, what about this job in Tucson?" Gale looked to the couple. "What about that?"

"Life is about choices, Gale," Johanna said, her dark eyes firm. "You just have to pick the ones that are right for you and, if you really want them in your life, Madge and Viola. That's what having a family is like—you make choices and sacrifices for a greater happiness."

"Where were you two when we were fighting this afternoon?" he asked with a tired smile.

"Putting a fussy baby down for a nap," Haymitch replied.

Johanna looked to him. "You're at least going to be there for her birthday, right?"

"Of course," Gale said. "I mean, I'm supposed to leave the morning after for Tucson."

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you?" Johanna retorted with an eye roll.

He didn't respond.

* * *

"Oh my God! Congratulations!" Madge hugged Annie as they walked into the living room. Henry and Finnick were already in the dining room, serving themselves at the buffet table arranged by Johanna's catering company. "You didn't tell me that you were expecting!"

"Well, it's been such a whirlwind these past few months with Katniss and Peeta," Annie said, her eyes sad. "We found out a little after you moved in and we just wanted to give you some time to adjust. I've just started showing and it's perfect timing since we just found out that we're having a little girl."

"You have to let me do a pregnancy shoot for you," she said to Annie. "It'll be my baby shower present for you. Any thoughts on names?"

"Arielle—after my mom, but we're going to call her Elle for short," Annie said. She looked to where Viola was sitting with Prim and her parents. "She looks great, by the way. You and Gale are doing a great job."

"Thanks," Madge replied. Her eyes went to the door, hearing it open, and smiled weakly when Cato approached. "Hey Annie, will you excuse me?"

Annie looked to the man approaching and winked. "No problem. I wanted to check up on Henry and Finnick, anyway."

She disappeared into the crowd of people, leaving Madge to greet her guest.

Cato slowed in front of her and gave her a smile. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks." Madge smiled and led him to the dining room. "We have plenty of food. Cake should be out in an hour according to Johanna, my friend and caterer." She looked over to see Prim trying to calm Viola down. "Be right back. Baby duty."

Rushing over, Viola spotted Madge immediately and she held her arms out, her blue eyes teary.

"She's been very fussy today," Prim remarked. "I don't think that she likes when you're so far away."

"I wouldn't want Madge to be so far from me either," a deep voice remarked.

Only Gale could cause her to shiver like this.

She turned to find him with a bouquet of daffodils for her. "Gale…"

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," he said and kissed her cheek. Greeting Prim and her parents, he looked to her and reached for Viola. "Can we talk?"

Madge nodded eagerly. "I have to change Viola, anyway."

Excusing themselves, they headed upstairs and into the nursery.

"How are you?" Gale asked as she moved Viola's diaper off her rump. He took over as she went to toss out the diaper, grabbing the baby wipes.

"Lonely, I guess," she told him, reaching for a clean diaper to hand to him. "It's been three days, Gale. You haven't been home. I was worried."

Gale snorted. "I wouldn't know since I haven't heard from you, either."

"I don't know what you want from me!" Madge gave him the diaper before turning away. "I'm not as fast as you! I'm not as brave as you—"

"You don't think I'm scared?" Gale yelled back at her. "You don't think that I imagine what it would be like if we didn't work out? A million bad things could happen but I refuse to let it scare me! Because I want you! I'm in love with you! I want to spend my life with you! All you have to do is ask me to stay!"

Madge wiped her eyes. "And, if we don't work?" She felt her lips trembling. "I don't think that I could take it if I lost anyone else! Not after all of this! Not after my parents…then Peeta and Katniss…don't you see, Gale? It would be easier if we kept it all as it is—then you wouldn't leave like everyone else!"

"You have that little faith in me?" Gale blazed at her. "I have done nothing to warrant your mistrust! Fuck!"

"Hey guys?" They turned to find Haymitch at the nursery's doorway. "The walls of this house are just thin enough that we could hear _everything_."

"I was just leaving," Gale seethed. He looked to Madge, whose head was bowed. "I'll call from Tucson."

Giving Viola a kiss, he rushed out of the room.

She could hear his stomping down the stairs and the slam of the front door.

"I'm going to give you a minute," Haymitch told her kindly before closing the door.

Taking Viola in her arms, she walked to the rocking chair and sat back. The tears fell steadily, watering the seeds of loneliness slowly blooming inside her. She hated this…hated him…hated herself. She hated that she wanted him so much but was too afraid to say so.

After a moment, Madge felt a hand on her wet cheeks and she looked up to see Viola staring at her—Peeta's blues radiating through the little girl's innocent gaze.

"Mama?" It came out in a tiny whisper.

Madge looked at her for a moment in shock. "No…sweetie. I'm Aunt Madge."

Viola's hands went to her loose hair, examining it, before looking to her once more. "Mama."

She burst into tears, pulling Viola close, and pressed kisses to her soft hair.

After a moment, Madge smiled at the little girl nestled against her.

"Yes…I'm your mama."

* * *

Madge loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. The party had been wholly unsuccessful with everyone leaving after the fight. Johanna and Annie checked on her and made sure that she wasn't crying too hard in her room before they left.

There was a click of the backdoor and Cato walked in hesitantly. "I threw out the garbage."

"Thanks," she replied hoarsely before turning on the dishwasher.

"Hey Madge?" Cato called out and she found him walking towards her. "We should talk." She stopped and looked to him. "You know I had this girlfriend once…and I was super in love with her. I wanted to marry her."

"What happened?" she asked curiously.

"We just couldn't work it out," he told her, his eyes pained. "I always assumed she would be there and then one day, she wasn't. I realized that I didn't fight for her and she didn't have the passion from me that she needed." Cato met her eyes. "But, you and Gale? If we fought as passionately as you two did—we would still be together. There's fire there, my friend."

Madge gave him a sad smile. "Friend?"

"How could I even compete with you and Gale? There's just too much between you two." Cato gave her a kiss on the cheek. "That's just something for you to think about before you let him leave for Tucson." He looked to the clock behind her. "I should get going. Early day tomorrow."

"Thanks for coming, Cato," she said gratefully.

"Of course." He nodded at her. "Kiss Viola for me."

Then he left her to contemplate his words.

* * *

"Viola, we have to go catch Gale's flight, okay?"

Madge gathered her bag, car keys, and finally Viola who was sitting in her playpen. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to say, but she had spent a sleepless night contemplating her life without him.

From what Madge gathered, it wouldn't be a fun nor fulfilling life.

Gale had turned off his phone where three rambling voice messages from her currently resided.

Going to the door, she was surprised to find Delly standing in front of her.

"My God, Delly—you have the worst timing ever!"

"It's my job to do these visits unexpectedly," the woman responded. "And, where are you heading?"

"I have to stop the man I'm in love with from going to Tucson," Madge told her quickly. "So you need to reschedule this meeting because I'm wasting my time!"

Delly stared at her for a moment before holding her arms out.

"Give me Viola, I'll sit in the backseat with her."

* * *

Gale sat at the gate, his laptop open looking over his latest articles which he would be presenting to the committee in Tucson. His eyes went to a file folder in the corner of his desktop before double-clicking it.

They were the pictures from Viola's first birthday.

He looked through them, his eyes heavy at the photos of Katniss and Peeta. They looked so in love and his eyes went to the way that two looked at one another. He clicked once more and found a photo of himself and Madge with Viola sitting in his lap.

Madge was wiping something off his face, her smile bright. There had been a cake fight and Peeta had gotten him pretty badly in the face. Madge, having mercy on him, grabbed a washcloth to clean him up.

"Your wife is very pretty." He turned to see a young woman with bright red hair looking over at his screen. "And, your daughter—that little smile. She looks just like you."

"Thanks," he replied. "But, they're no—"

Gale stopped. No matter how upset he was at Madge, he could not say that he didn't think of her and Viola as his family.

"Thanks," Gale said after a moment. "I hate to leave them."

"Then why exactly are you leaving?" the woman asked with a grin.

Shrugging, he looked back to his phone seeing that it was fully charged. Turning it on, he noticed there was a series of missed calls and three voice messages—all from Madge.

" _Flight 823 for Tucson is now boarding…we are now welcoming our business and first class passengers…_ "

That was him.

Gale headed for the gate.

* * *

Madge stopped at the flight schedule screens; Delly behind her with Viola in her arms.

"What flight are we looking for?" the social worker asked, her eyes trained on the screen.

"A flight to Tucson, according to Johanna, it's Flight—"

"823?" Delly finished and she pointed to the bottom screen.

Madge looked to see the status of Gale's flight:

' **DEPARTED.** '

* * *

Opening the door to the house, Madge walked in with Viola in her arms. The little girl pushed off of her, crawling towards the living room. She had been comforting Delly—who was devastated that they were not able to get to Gale—for the last twenty minutes before sending her off to her next client.

Madge was more than a little devastated herself and would be surprised if Gale even bothered to return.

"Dada!"

Hearing Viola's cry, Madge dropped her bag and rushed to the living room.

She froze at sight before her.

Viola was standing and marching towards Gale in determination.

He knelt as she rushed over to him and the man lifted her proudly.

"You're a little overachiever, aren't you?" Gale kissed the little girl before meeting Madge's eyes, beaming at her. "Vi can walk and talk—looks like we haven't screwed her up completely." Madge felt her lips tremble and the smile fell from his face. "Madge, what's wrong?"

She ran over to him and he took her into his free arm.

"I missed you…" Madge buried her face against his chest. "…and I love you so much."

"I heard—you told me a bunch of times in your voice messages," Gale replied. He leaned down to press a gentle kiss on her lips. "But, there's nothing better than hearing it in person and straight out of those beautiful lips of yours."

Madge wiped her eyes, grinning at him. "Glad you feel that way." She looked to Viola, resting against Gale's chest and her hand went to tenderly brush the little girl's face. "I plan to show you several times over."

He kissed the top of Madge's head, breathing her sweet scent in slowly. "Good."

"By the way, Viola said 'Mama' first," Madge declared triumphantly.

"But, she walked for me first," Gale retorted.

"I guess we're even then." Her hand went to his cheek and Madge kissed him once more. "Welcome home."

* * *

 _Five Years Later…_

"Daddy!"

Gale looked up from the cake he was icing to see Vi rushing over excitedly. At six, she was a tiny ball of energy with Peeta's exuberance and Katniss' no-nonsense attitude. However that sweet kind nature and excitability came from Madge.

"What's up, babe?" he asked as he went to grab the candles from the cabinet.

"Is it time to wake Mommy now?" Vi bounced on one foot, her red dress with the black polka dots moving with her. "I fixed up the living room and decorated it with all the pictures that me and Ginny made!"

'Ginny' was Regina, who was now five and actually in the same grade as Vi—as she had tested at a first grade level.

"Why don't I wake Mommy up and you can pick out the music?" he suggested and Vi squealed in agreement before running out of the kitchen.

After placing the candles on the cake, Gale wiped his hands before heading upstairs. As he made his way up, his eyes looked over the pictures along the wall; the one of him, Madge, and Vi with Glimmer at the television studio in Los Angeles where her sitcom was celebrating its fifth year on the air…the other photo with a toddler Vi holding Elle—newly born and sporting her father's copper hair. Then, there was the one of Henry—who was now ten—from last year, holding Vi's hand as he led her towards her first day of Kindergarten…

He and Madge had been too emotional to do it.

The last photo was of the three of them; the one that Peeta had taken—their very first family photo.

At the top of the stairs, Gale entered his and Madge's room—the master bedroom.

They had been hesitant to take the room at first, but this year had been a year of big changes.

His gaze went to a snoozing Madge on their bed, a content smile on her face and her hand on the prominent swell on her stomach.

Vi had insisted that her baby brother have Madge's former room since it was next to hers.

Going to the bed, Gale leaned down and gently kissed Madge, teasing her lips until her eyes finally opened.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he greeted as she roused from her nap.

"How do you know that I wasn't awake but just wanted to be kissed?" Madge responded with a playful grin. Slowly he helped her up and she groaned, her hand going to her back. "How many more months?"

"Two," Gale told her in sympathy. "If I could do this for you, I would."

Madge stood up. "I want that in writing." She gave him a kiss before handing him his phone. "By the way, Effie wanted me to remind you that she was coming in for the meeting with the website developers—also, that the publishers are sending you a contract at the same time, so you could go over it together."

"Remind me why we keep her around?" he asked as they walked out of the room and down the stairs.

"Because your articles have become so big that we need to put them in book format—and we need a negotiator," Madge replied as they descended the stairs. "You see, when you write about real life experiences and people like it, you have to give them more."

The blog and its articles had started as a pet project for them—a chronicle of their life raising their Goddaughter. Gale had done the writing and Madge was in charge of photography.

Five years later, their website and blog, 'Baby Steps', was hugely successful.

He continued writing, bringing in guest writers like Prim—now starting her second year at Yale and planning to major in English as well as Communications—who would chronicle their experiences with their family and Viola.

Entering the living room, Viola rushed over to Madge to give her a hug. "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" She kissed the belly against Madge's silk dress and patted it. "Hey Kit! It's Mommy's birthday and we get to have cake. Auntie Johanna made it, but said that Daddy had to ice it."

"I guess my secret is revealed." Gale looked to Madge, a handsome smile on his lips. "You would've known the jig was up once you tasted it. It's too good to be mine."

"Don't worry, Daddy." Viola went to the stereo to turn on the music. "I'm going to be a baker like Angel Mommy and you won't ever have to worry about making cakes again."

Angel Mommy was what Viola called Katniss along with the appropriate Angel Daddy for Peeta. It had not been easy to explain to Viola about her parents' death. It took several attempts when he and Madge decided to assemble an album of every single picture of their friends starting from their childhoods to their final year. They had shown Viola all the videos from their high school events—the appropriate ones—and even footage from Katniss and Peeta's wedding.

Viola declared that she would be wearing her Angel Mommy's wedding dress when she got married.

It had been a relief to see her so accepting and understanding—until she said that she would be marrying Henry.

Gale wasn't ready for her to adore any other guy like she adored him.

" _Oh, what a night  
Late December, back in '63…"_

Madge and Gale looked to one another in surprise. It had been so long since they heard _this_ song.

"Why did you pick this song?" Madge asked Viola who was dancing towards them.

The little girl shrugged. "I had a dream during my nap where I was watching you, Daddy, Angel Mommy and Angel Daddy dance to this song. Angel Daddy even showed me how to find the song. He told me it would make a perfect moment."

She took their hands.

"Come dance with me!"

"It's our song," Gale told Madge as he scooped Viola into his arms and wrapped an arm around Madge's waist. "We have to dance to it."

Madge chuckled. "Well, if we have to…"

" _Oh, what a night  
Hypnotizing, mesmerizing me  
She was everything I dreamed she'd be  
Sweet surrender, what a night…"_

The three of them moved in time with the music, Madge's head going to Gale's shoulder as Viola wrapped her arms around his neck. He winked at the little girl and she quickly slid off him so he could dance with Madge on his own.

But not before slipping the velvet box that he asked her to hide for him in his pants pocket.

Viola twirled to herself, her laugh musical like Katniss' and her smile like Peeta's as she started to dance around them.

As Peeta said, it was the perfect moment.

Pulling away, Gale reached into his pocket before getting down on one knee in front of Madge in the house that they had turned into their home all those years ago.

"Madge—" He watched the tears begin to fill her eyes. It had only taken them forever to get to this moment. "—I have something to ask you."

" _Oh, what a night  
Why'd it take so long to see the light?  
Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right  
What a lady, what a night…"_

 **FIN.**

Songs:

"Glory of Love"-Peter Cetera

"December, 1963 (Oh What A Night!)"-Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

Daffodils mean uncertainty, chivalry, respect or unrequited love, return my affection and…new beginnings


End file.
